The Chase
by SpeedForceSpeedster
Summary: Sasuke wakes up hanging from a cliffside with no idea how he got there. Feeling as if he's come to the end, he is about to give up and let go when a strong hand reaches out to catch him...a hand belonging to someone he thought he'd never see again...
1. Chapter 1

**Gosh. Today I just woke up and said to myself "I'm going to write a Naruto piece this time", which is strange considering that I'm not the biggest Naruto fan anymore. I don't know, the urge just hit me so I sat down and typed this number up. It's a short chapter since I don't plan on making this a long story. The focus is on that butthead Sasuke :D and I hope my general dislike of his character doesn't come across in my writing. I think he may be a bit TOO emo in this one but please bear with me! **

**I do hope that you will enjoy this piece though, and any reviews/suggestions or complaints (I accept criticism) will be much appreciated. ENJOY!**

**I do not own the characters of Naruto (that heavy burden belongs to Masashi Kishimoto XD) but if I did Naruto and Gaara would be an item lol**

CHAPTER 1

He opened his eyes hesitantly. How did he get here of all places? Why was he so desperately holding on to a rock at the edge of a cliff side? He didn't even remember falling over the edge, he was just there when he woke up.

He looked down anxiously.

It was a long way down to fall…

He couldn't possibly survive if he fell, that was certain. But he didn't care. He had longed for this. Wanted to end it ever since he had learned the truth about his brother and his village. But he had been too scared to end his own life. This way he didn't have to do anything, didn't have to pierce his own heart with his blade, he could just simply let go and it would all be over before he knew it. It would hurt, of course it would, but his whole life had been a mass of pain and hurt in the first place. To keep going now, after everything that had happened? Well that was just foolish wasn't it?

Sasuke Uchiha closed his eyes. H didn't want to see anything as he fell. He just wanted to surrender himself to the darkness, as though he was being consumed by it. He unconsciously snorted. _Giving himself to the darkness? Hadn't he already done that? Wasn't he darkness personified? _He had been in the light once upon a time. It had smothered him, kept him weak. Or so he had thought.

But now, as he neared the end…he craved it.

He wanted to feel the warmth once again as the last of his strength silently ebbed away, wanted to see their smiles for one last time…but they were gone. By his own hand. He had purged the last of his light at that moment, when he saw him painfully draw his last breath.

Naruto.

The person who had kept him human, the one who refused to give up on him despite everything.

Sasuke couldn't even begin to comprehend the blind faith Naruto had had in him, the desperate desire to save him, understand him. He didn't understand what he had done to deserve it.

But Naruto wouldn't be chasing after him anymore…

And that thought, more than anything, made his heart ache and his eyes well up. It hurt.

Sasuke grimaced. He could feel the strength in his arms slowly disappearing. It was time. He didn't try to grip tighter as his fingers began to loosen their hold on the rock. Didn't attempt to cry for help. He just steeled himself for the pain. His thin fingers let go one by one, their strength vanishing. His arms relaxed as he slid off the surface and as he began to fall a slight smile appeared on his calm face. It was the happiest he'd been in months, here at the end. He could finally let go of all the pain he had kept deep inside him. He would meet Naruto in the next life…and this time he wouldn't let go.

Suddenly, he felt a tight grip on his arm which jerked him up. Someone had stopped him from falling.

Before he opened his eyes to see who it was, a trembling, raspy voice spoke.

"I'm not letting you go just yet Sasuke."

To be continued…..

**So there we are for chapter one. I hope this wasn't too bad of a start. **

**For any 'Stormy Reception' fans reading this, chapter 5 of that should be up hopefully by the weekend! The next chapter of this will be up when I eventually conquer my laziness! Ciao xx**


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

Sasuke's eyes opened wide with shock. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. He needed to confirm that what he heard was true, make sure that he wasn't just dreaming. He lifted his head apprehensively and his pitch black eyes eventually met up with shining crystal blue ones. Strong, determined eyes that could only belong to one person. Eyes he would recognize anywhere…

Naruto.

Sasuke was momentarily struck speechless. He couldn't believe it. His lips moved but no words could escape them and when he eventually spoke his voice was shaking in disbelief.

"How….how are you here? I…killed you. I left your body on the plains…you weren't't breathing …how?"

He had struggled to let the last few words out, and he could feel his body quivering, trying to hold back his grief. The words brought with them a deep wave of regret. But Naruto simply laughed. He threw back his head and laughed, as if it was the most comical idea that he had ever heard. Sasuke was baffled. Naruto was alive, and stranger still, he was laughing at him.

When Naruto eventually calmed down, his piercing eyes focused on Sasuke once again. Sasuke briefly noticed how tired he looked, even more than Sasuke himself, and his eyes skittered over Naruto's body taking note of every scrape, bruise and wound that was visible. Naruto was injured, obviously in pain, all because of Sasuke. But he had still mustered the strength to save him from falling. Sasuke was about to say something, when Naruto casually interrupted, finally answering Sasuke's earlier questions. He was grinning cheekily as he answered, mischievousness glittering in his eyes.

"Oh please. _You_ killed _me_? I'm a little stronger than you think, give me a little credit here Sasuke."

He was right of course. Naruto had always been a lot stronger than he gave him credit for. It was more than possible for him to have survived Sasuke's onslaught. Naruto saw that Sasuke was satisfied and attempted to pull him to his feet, groaning with effort now and again. Naruto eventually gave up and threw himself down onto the ground next to Sasuke. He lay down, defenceless, his hands cushioning the back of his head and momentarily closed his eyes. As he studied Naruto's face Sasuke noticed how long Naruto's hair had grown, how his blonde bangs almost covered his eyes and how delicate strands curtained each side of his tan face.

"You look a lot like the fourth Hokage for some reason…" Sasuke said out loud

Naruto opened a single eye lazily and gave a proud smile.

"I guess I would. He's my dad after all. And my mom, she's totally beautiful Sasuke! Had this amazing red hair, and the funniest catchphrase…heh. I wish you could have seen her."

Sasuke was stunned. Not only because he learned of Naruto's parentage so suddenly but also due to the casual tone in which Naruto was speaking to him. He was talking to him as if Sasuke had never left, as though they were still friends. Sasuke bit the inside of his lip and extended a hand until it was grabbing Naruto's neck. Naruto didn't move, didn't say anything. He just looked at Sasuke with the same gentle expression on his face.

"I could kill you right now…and you wouldn't be able to do anything. I'm not the 12 year old kid I used to be Naruto so stop dropping your guard."

"Sasuke, my guard was never up in the first place. Somehow I don't think you'll be trying to kill me again any time soon."

For some reason Sasuke felt anger. He wasn't angry that Naruto didn't think he could kill him, he was angry that after all this time Naruto still managed to misplace his trust in him.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Why are you still clinging to me after all this time? Cant you see that I betrayed you? Are you really so stupid that after all I've done you still trust me, think I'm your friend?"

Naruto said nothing for a while. He lay on the ground looking up a the blue sky, watching the white clouds pass by. Sasuke waited for an answer, slightly out of breath from his sudden outburst, and just when he thought that a reply would never come Naruto spoke. His tone was serious.

"I think that you're the stupid one Sasuke, for underestimating me. You've known me for years, seen what kind of person I am. You of all people should know by now that I don't give up, that I will never give up on our friendship or on you. But don't get me wrong…I am angry with you. There are times when I've come close to hating you, or giving up on you. But then I'd remember."

Sasuke was surprised. Naruto was angry with him? Even though he should have expected it he was still surprised. If Naruto was angry at him why didn't he just stay away?

"Remember what?"

The words were out of Sasuke's mouth before he had the time to stop them. Naruto chuckled knowingly, as if he'd guessed Sasuke's response from the start.

"I'd remember that you're lonely. Just like I was. Difference was that I still had someone on my side to support me like Iruka-sensei, Sakura-chan, the pervy sage and old lady Tsunade. They were all there for me. But you had no one. So I wanted to be the someone that would stop you from getting lonely too. Because I know how terrifying loneliness is."

Naruto suddenly looked downcast and Sasuke was shocked to see such a mature look on his face. It had always surprised him to see that the cheerful, childish Naruto could suddenly look so very adult.

"You think you can relate to my loneliness Naruto?"

"Maybe. When I was a kid my loneliness was simply having no one care, being alone. I understand that you were different. You lost everyone and felt betrayed by your brother. That was your loneliness. I thought that I could never relate to that kind of thing, until I went through the same thing. But when Jiraya sensei died…I felt like I could understand that kind of loneliness, because it really did feel like I'd lost everything important to me all at once."

"That was one man Naruto. He wasn't even family. And when did a brother ever betray you?"

Naruto looked straight into his eyes and suddenly Sasuke knew exactly what he was about to say next.

"You did betray me Sasuke. You left me for dead, hurt Sakura-chan and attacked our village. You betrayed all of us."

"Exactly! So why do you still insist on playing an angel? You should have just left me to die! I don't need your pity!"

"You still don't understand after all this time. Others may have pitied you, felt sorry for a kid who lost his whole family. But me? The reason why I chased after you wasn't pity at all. It was loyalty, friendship. I just wanted my friend back. You're the first important friend I made. Isn't that reason enough to chase after you?"

Sasuke sat up suddenly and winced as his bruises and wounds ached in reaction. He turned his head so Naruto couldn't see the expression on his face.

"Your friend is gone. He's been gone for years."

"Hmm. I don't know about that. I think he's still in there somewhere. He's just not ready to come out just yet is all. But when he does decide to come back I'll be there waiting, just like I have been for all these years. Because that's what family does".

Sasuke was silent. He couldn't admit that a small part of him was happy to hear those words. He wouldn't admit.

"Usuratonkachi."

Naruto laughed cheerfully.

"Ha ha ha. That's nostalgic. I was starting to miss being called that".

Sasuke turned his head so Naruto wouldn't see the slight smile that tugged on his lips.

Knowing that Naruto was close, alive and smiling with him again….for that moment everything was perfect once more.

OKAERI

**I decided to end it there on kind of a high note (I resisted the urge to kill off Sasuke lol) :D with the two of them just sitting together in the middle of nowhere talking to each other. Personally I think that the true Naruto ending will be nothing like this lol. It's bound to be Naruto and Sasuke teaming up to take on Madara or something cheesy like that and the series ends with Naruto becoming Hokage and Sasuke looking down on the village with affection and walking away into the sunset. Seriously. **

**I'm planning on writing a few more Naruto fanfics in the future so don't despair :D**

**I hope you enjoyed this small story at least a little.**


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